Nexus 7 LTE Release Date: What to Expect

Last month, Google answered a lot of consumer questions about the new Nexus 7 which hit shelves in late July. However, the company did leave at least one glaring question mark, a question mark that remains to this day: When is the Nexus 7 LTE release date?

In late July, Google hosted a press conference in San Francisco where the company detailed several new products including the $35 ChromeCast, the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update and the new Nexus 7, all of which have become available to consumers across the United States. While the star of the show is debatable, there is no denying that the Nexus 7 was one of the highlights of the show.

Last year’s Nexus 7 kicked off a 7-inch tablet battle that came to include the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and the iPad mini. And while these tablets might be smaller than their counterparts, the Kindle Fire HD 8.9, iPad 4 and the Nexus 10, they still pack a huge punch and are among the most popular tablets on the market.

So it came as no surprise that Google, and the other companies, have cooked up successors. Again, Google became the first to launch, and the new Nexus 7 is now out on shelves. The device has received fantastic reviews and it is arguably the best 7-inch tablet that money can buy. With its 7-inch high-resolution display, quad-core processing power, 5MP camera, slim design, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, and 4G LTE data speeds, the Nexus 7 is a formidable foe.

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However, there is just one problem. While the Wi-Fi only model is out on shelves, the Nexus 7 4G LTE is not, leaving consumers wondering when Google might release it for AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile.

While there is no specific release date, there are release date clues, and here, we take a look at what we expect from the Google’s upcoming Nexus 7 LTE release date.

An Imminent Nexus 7 LTE Release Date

The Nexus 7 LTE will beat the iPad mini 2 to shelves.

At the launch event, Google tagged the Wi-Fi only Nexus 7 with a July 30th release date. Only, Google lied. Instead, the device went on sale much earlier through Google and through a number of retailers and those who wanted the Nexus 7 early got the new Nexus 7 early.

Unfortunately, Google announced a more vague release date for the LTE model exclaiming that the device would be heading to shelves in the “coming weeks.”

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For those that have followed Android launch events, you’ll know that “coming weeks” is generally not a good thing as it can often mean a product is more than just a few weeks away. We’re talking months away. However, this is Google and not a manufacturer and it doesn’t play around with consumers so we expect the device to actually be a few weeks away from an arrival.

For one, the company is already teasing it on its website as coming soon. We also know that it’s been clearing certifications on its way to shelves. So it’s likely that the device just needed a few more voices of approval before hitting shelves.

Expect a release date in the near future and one that likely arrives in August.

Fewer Retailers

Google has gone to great lengths to make the Nexus 7 accessible to consumers, putting it in the hands of more retailers than had the original. Places like Best Buy, Staples and Amazon are selling the device and a number of other places have the device on hand as well. This of course comes in addition to the Google Play Store which is serving up the Nexus 7 to consumers.

Consumers though should expect the Nexus 7 LTE’s reach to be far less than the Wi-Fi model. We saw the HSPA+ Nexus 7 stay on the Google Play Store. That is to say it didn’t come to retailers like Staples and many others.

The Nexus 7 LTE will be sold on the Google Play Store.

At this point, given its history and given that Google never specified that the LTE model would be touching down in various retailers, expect it to be more limited when it arrives.

We also expect that carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon won’t be carrying it on shelves either. The original Nexus 7 was never sold directly by AT&T and T-Mobile.

Plentiful Stock

As we’ve pointed out, Google did a beautiful job with the Nexus 7 launch. While the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 7 both saw disastrous launches thanks to supply issues, Google seems to have solved the problem as the Nexus 7 launch this year hasn’t been a catastrophe. In fact, the device remains widely available and there aren’t any widespread complaints about the shipping process.

We expect the Nexus 7 LTE to be in high demand but Google will more than likely be ready with a hefty amount of stock on its Google Play Store. So while we could see stock pushed back a bit in terms of shipping times, expect Google and Asus to have a good handle on the Nexus 7 LTE supply.

Zero Surprises

Expect there to be zero surprises with the Nexus 7 LTE release and release date. It will arrive soon and it will arrive for $350 on AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.

Don’t expect a 16GB Nexus 7 LTE or a Sprint model at launch.

There certainly will be a demand for a cheaper Nexus 7 LTE with lesser storage. That’s still a possibility given that Google launched the cellular-enhanced Nexus 7 models late in 2012. It also wound up replacing the 8GB Nexus 7 with a 32GB model as well. Perhaps it adds more models down the road but at this point expect a 32GB Nexus 7 LTE.

Those hoping for a Sprint Nexus 7 LTE shouldn’t hold their breath either. If the Nexus 7 LTE was coming to Sprint any time soon, Google would have made that known at the event.